Calumet City Green Alley Program

Like many older Chicago area suburbs, Calumet City, Illinois has experienced chronic stormwater flooding due to aging sewer infrastructure and a lack of modern stormwater management assets. This has only increased in recent years due to the impact of climate change. Under Mayor Thaddeus Jones’ leadership, the City and its civil engineers, Farnsworth Group, initiated a dynamic plan to alleviate the  recurring damage that these rain events can cause the City’s residents. Launched after the devastating September 17, 2023, flood, Calumet City’s STORMH2O Action Plan focuses on several multi-million-dollar projects to alleviate the City’s flooding.  These projects include a comprehensive assessment and response plan for over 50 miles of combined sewers; a US Army Corps project to rebuild the Little Calumet River levee; needed investments in all the City’s stormwater pumping facilities; and incentives for residents to  install overhead sewer plumbing in their basements.

One of the highlights of STORMH2O is the City’s Green Alley Program. Using permeable pavers, the alleys in the first, third, fourth and seventh wards of the City can store up to 447,000 gallons total per rain event. In addition to capturing stormwater and mitigating flooding in the area, the projects demonstrate the benefits of green infrastructure to residents.

“We have over 53 miles of neighborhood alleys in Calumet City”, said Mayor Jones after the second year of the project this autumn. “For too long our residents lived through gravel alleys that had poor drainage that caused alley  and garage flooding and overflow into their yards. I am proud to be the first Mayor to bring a paving program to Calumet City homeowners—and one that helps alleviate the flooding.”